U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree to appear in Libby, Troy Tuesday en route to D.C.
By JOHN BLODGETT
The Western News
Montana Gov. Steve Bullock will be in Libby Tuesday, Nov. 14 to see off the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree — commonly known as “The People’s Tree” — at the beginning stages of its journey to Washington, D.C.
Bullock will speak at a short ceremony on the Libby High School practice field that’s free and open to the public. Libby Mayor Brent Teske will introduce the governor at the event, which takes place 9:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.
The Libby Chamber of Commerce previously reported that all local students will attend the event, which will include performances by the Libby High School Band and the Libby Schools Student Choir.
After the tree’s stop in Libby, it’ll head straight for Troy so residents there can also give it a proper send-off. The tree and the custom Kenworth semi and trailer carrying it will park at the Troy Museum at 700 E. Missoula Ave. from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Libby and Troy are the third and fourth stops, respectively, the tree is making on its roughly 3,000 mile journey to Washington, D.C. On Monday, it starts off in Eureka and then visits Whitefish before coming back to these parts.
The tree’s stop in Troy will begin with remarks from Mayor Darren Coldwell, Three Rivers Ranger District Ranger Kirsten Kaiser and Pete Tallmadge, the Troy sawyer and third-generation logger who was selected to cut the tree.
Their remarks will be followed by a presentation of a Montana map — made by students in Morrison Elementary School’s after-school program — and a U.S. map made by Kyla Grose’s second-grade class. The maps will accompany the tree on its journey, said Barbie Coldwell, “The First Lady of Troy” and a contract administration specialist with the Forest Service.
A photographer will then take a group photo in front of the tree — anyone who wants to squeeze in can — before the Troy High School choir sings a selection of Christmas carols.
Finally, from noon until 12:30 p.m., people “can sign the banner that will be traveling with the tree and take any other photos needed,” according to Shawna Kelsey of the Yaak Valley Forest Council.
Throughout the event attendees can enjoy Christmas cookies and hot cocoa.
After leaving Troy Tuesday, the tree heads to Trout Creek, Thompson Falls, Missoula and points beyond. Its anticipated delivery to the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol is Nov. 27.
Every year, a different National Forest is selected to provide a tree to appear on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol for the Christmas season. This year’s tree — a 79 ft. tall Engelmann spruce located in Upper Ford administrative site on the Three Rivers Ranger District in Troy — is the second U.S. Capitol Christmas tree to come from the Kootenai National Forest. The first one was felled in 1989.
The tradition of choosing from a national forest a Christmas tree to appear on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol began in 1970.
According to a news release, Superintendent of the Capitol Grounds Ted Bechtol and staff visited the Kootenai National Forest in July and “inspected a half a dozen or so candidate trees.”
The tree, which was guarded by Forest Service law enforcement officers since it was announced Oct. 30, was cut Tuesday, Nov. 7. Tallmadge was quoted in a press release as feeling “honored, privileged and a little anxious” about it, yet also “happy that my kids and grandkids will be able to remember that I was a sawyer, and that they have a strong family history of working in the timber industry in Northwest Montana.”
For more information on the tree and its journey visit www.capitolchristmastree.com.
A video montage of photographs provided by and selected from local students for the “Kootenai National Forest Capitol Christmas Tree Contest” can be viewed at www.youtube.com/watch?v=QI_Z_B5lp2Y.